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Why commercial fruit purees and other fruit products are poisonous for the bar


I have found this video in the newsfeed on Facebook and wondered - is such products great for the bar?
It sounds all great: more consistency, more flavor - cheaper cost. What not to like?
This is not necessary only this product, which is rather fresh on the market - it is also well known brands like Funkin' Fruit Purees and even Boiron, which are in the focus here.

As you might already sense now (and could take it out of the title) - I do have a different opinion about it.
For me, these products don't help - and here is why:

  1. Making a product shelf-stable [after you open it], means that it consist conservative substances.
  2. A commercial product usually also uses less expensive sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.
  3. Products like those, jeopardize the position of the bar as part of the culinary arts - usually great restaurants use great seasonal produce - no convenience products!
  4. Using this type of products will spoil operators and guests - if flavors are available all year around, why should a bar should buy fresh and seasonal products? And guests are demanding for these flavors, instead of valuing seasonal cocktail lists.
  5. These products jeopardize the achievements, the bar culture reached until now! We are not at the height of the bar culture because of "blueberry martinis" or "peach mojitos" [both example don't exist in my vocabulary and should not exist in any honorable bartenders one as well] and what-not. But because of classic drinks like the aviation, the martini cocktail, old fashioned or manhattan! There is no syrup nor puree in any of them!
  6. Did anyone thought about carbon-footprint?
I could on and on with this rant. Though truth has to be told, I also like few syrups, which are great in my opinion. But these products are produced in rather small quantities and usually of things. Also it has to be said, that even most produce, even if it is fresh, comes unripe and per sea or air-freight to Dubai - hence sometimes there is the need of using a syrup [which isn't homemade]. However it isn't really great to extend the market with global mass-produced items and spoil the environment and the expectations and taste-buds of our guests.

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